Allen throws a wrench into expected 'Idol' outcome

Kris Allen beamed with disbelief, shook his head as if to reject that this was really happening and doubled over in shock.

The fact that he'd just beaten rollicking vocal powerhouse Adam Lambert for the "American Idol" title wasn't going to sink in quickly for the unassuming underdog from Arkansas. The only downside to this stunning victory: He was going to have to sing "No Boundaries" one more time.

"I'm sorry, I don't even know what to feel right now. This is crazy," said the 23-year-old from Conway, Ark., as he leaned on host Ryan Seacrest to keep from staggering.

Allen's smooth vocals and boy-next-door image gave him the edge after nearly 100 million viewer votes were cast, turning the theatrical Lambert into the most unlikely of also-rans. When the season started, Allen seemed unsure he had a right to take center stage, let alone stand there and snatch victory from such a formidable rival.

During his "Idol" audition last summer, Allen, hands in his pockets and a newsboy cap pulled down around his eyes, was asked by the judges if he was the best singer around.

"You know, there's probably people who are better than me," was Allen's response, offered in the quiet, low-key spirit he retained despite his growing profile.

Conversely, Lambert's commanding vocal range and stage presence -- and the judges' lavish adoration -- at times turned "Idol" into "The Adam Lambert Show," with the other contestants mere guests. But it turned out that "Idol" viewers could embrace a gifted performer like Lambert, one who sported black nail polish and bold self-assurance, only to a point.

Cowell tipped his hat to both contestants Wednesday night, who shared a moment of musical camaraderie when they joined with Queen on the rock anthem "We Are the Champions."

"To both of you, and I don't normally mean this, I thought you were both brilliant ... the future's all yours," the judge said.

"Adam did win. So did Kris. Nobody lost tonight. These are two champions," said Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley from backstage.

The comments from Cowell and Stanley aren't necessarily empty platitudes. Past contestants can testify that losing the title doesn't mean you're a loser, nor does winning mean you're a shoo-in for superstardom.

Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson, who finished fourth and seventh in their respective seasons, have gone on to huge success. As for "Idol" winners, they range from blockbuster artists like Carrie Underwood to the mostly under-the-radar Taylor Hicks.

Backstage, Lambert was asked about how his second-place finish would be interpreted online.

"The blogs have a lot of opinions, don't they?" he said, smiling and looking relaxed.

His own interpretation?

"I think Kris won because he's a great artist and I was happy to be runner-up to that," he said.

Wednesday's outcome echoed last year's contest, which also looked at the outset like it was going the other way. Cowell all but crowned David Archuleta after the performance finale, calling his a "knockout performance" -- but the victory went to David Cook.

Lambert was such a powerful, unique performer that his fans were allowed a sense of entitlement on his behalf. But his triumph wasn't inevitable. When Allen and Lambert were declared the finalists last week, just 1 million viewer votes separated the pair out of 88 million cast.

Allen bloomed during the season, gaining more assurance onstage and winning viewers over with his heartfelt vocals, modest demeanor and well-scrubbed good looks.

There was also the Danny Gokey factor. Gokey made it to the top three before he fell out of the contest, leaving his supporters up for grabs.

"After the third one leaves, you wonder where do the votes go from that third contestant," Paula Abdul said backstage after Tuesday's singing showdown.

Allen seemed the likely candidate for those viewers' affections, for on- and offstage reasons. Allen and Gokey, 29, of Milwaukee, were downright conservative when compared to Lambert's elaborate staging and wardrobe choices. Allen is a married college student -- his wife was often on hand to root for him -- and has worked as a church worship leader. Gokey, a recent widower, is a church music director.

Lambert, 27, of Los Angeles, brought measured rock flashiness -- daring, not freaky -- with songs including "Whole Lotta Love," the first-ever Led Zeppelin tune on "Idol." He's largely kept his personal life under wraps, saying "I know who I am" when asked about it.

Earlier this week, Allen said he hoped the outcome wouldn't be decided by "having the Christian vote."

"I hope it has to do with your talent and the performance that you give and the package that you have. It's not about religion and all that kind of stuff," he said.

Added Lambert: "It's about music. That's really important to keep in mind."

The finale Wednesday included the usual bag of tricks for extending the show to two hours and delaying the result until the final minutes. There were group numbers, the Golden Idol Award -- semifinalist funnyman Nick "Norman Gentle" Mitchell among the contenders -- and celebrity-contestant combos.

Allen was joined by Keith Urban on "Kiss a Girl," while Lambert stomped the stage in elevator boots and oversized ribbed shoulder pads for a pyrotechnic performance with Kiss.

The female finalists, including Allison Iraheta, opened up for Fergie, who sang "Big Girls Don't Cry" and then was joined by her group, the Black Eyed Peas. Iraheta later dueted with Cyndi Lauper on "Time After Time" and Danny Gokey joined Lionel Richie for two tunes.

Rod Stewart sang "Maggie May" after the male finalists opened for him with "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy."

An offbeat guest was Steve Martin, the actor-comedian who also specializes in the banjo. He played his song "Pretty Flowers" with finalists Megan Joy and Michael Sarver on vocals.

Asked by Seacrest to guess who might win "American Idol," Martin replied: "I know it's a long shot, but I'm hoping I do."

Allen rose to the occasion during Tuesday's performance show, especially with his soulful version of "Ain't No Sunshine." But he was tripped up by "No Boundaries," a power ballad song co-written by judge Kara DioGuardi and ill-suited to his voice.

(One audience wag said the tune's exhortation -- "You can go higher, you can go deeper ... Every step you climb another mountain" -- made it ideal for a Stairmaster exercise machine ad.)

Lambert did a better job with "No Boundaries" and excelled on his reprise of "Mad World" and on "A Change is Gonna Come."

"That was the best I've ever heard you sing -- ever!" exclaimed Abdul.

But it wasn't good enough for "American Idol" voters.

Prabakaran Dead

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Sri Lankan army chief Lt. Gen. Sareth Fonseka says troops have defeated the last pockets of rebel resistance in the north and are working to identify Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran's body from among the dead.

Fonseka spoke Monday after state television announced Prabhakaran's death in battle.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka's state television station announced Monday that Tamil Tiger rebel chief Velupillai Prabhakaran has been killed.

Prabhakaran's death would spell the end of a more than three-decade quest by the rebel leader for a separate state for minority Tamils across northern and eastern Sri Lanka.

Rupavahini television, the state broadcaster, broke into its regular programming Monday afternoon to announce Prabakharan's death. They gave no details of how he was killed.

from Yahoo

Sri Lanka army: 4 prominent rebel leaders killed

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Troops battling the last pockets of rebel resistance in northern Sri Lanka discovered the bodies of four top Tamil Tigers, including the supreme leader's eldest son and the group's political chief, the military said Monday.

But hundreds of special forces troops and infantry soldiers were scouring the smoking war zone for signs of rebel chief Velupillai Prabhakaran and his top deputies, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said, after the insurgents declared their quarter-century fight had reached its "bitter end."

"He's still there in that area, we haven't found him yet," Nanayakkara said.

Prabhakaran's capture, dead or alive, is crucial to bringing closure to this war-wracked Indian Ocean island nation. If he were to escape, he could use his large international smuggling network and the support of Tamil expatriates to spark a new round of guerrilla warfare here.

During previous rounds of fighting, Prabhakaran has reportedly told his bodyguards to kill him and burn his body beyond recognition rather than allow his capture.

Tamil Tiger fighters, as well, have been trained to commit suicide rather than be taken, and many wear cyanide capsules around their necks.

Troops were waging gunbattles Monday with the last remnants of the rebel group hiding in bunkers in a tiny area about the size of three football fields placed side by side, Nanayakkara said.

"Mopping up operations are still going ahead in the area," he said.

Earlier, troops found the body of Prabhakaran's eldest son, Charles Anthony, who was reportedly also a leader of the rebel group. Prabhakaran has three children and Charles Anthony — named after a rebel leader who died earlier in the war — was the only one thought to be fighting along with his father.

The Defense Ministry said special forces also found the bodies of the rebels' political wing leader, Balasingham Nadesan, the head of the rebels' peace secretariat, Seevaratnam Puleedevan, and one of the top military leaders, known as Ramesh. The statement said the bodies of many more rebels were scattered about the area and were not yet identified.

The Tamil Tigers were considered one of the world's best armed and most sophisticated insurgencies, with a conventional army, artillery pieces, a significant naval wing and even a nascent air force. But government forces ousted the rebels from the shadow state they controlled across a wide swath of the north in recent months and brought the group to its knees. Thousands of civilians were reportedly killed in the recent fighting.

Senior diplomats had appealed for a humanitarian cease-fire in recent weeks to safeguard the tens of thousands of civilians trapped in the war zone, but the government refused and many here grew angry at what they saw as unwanted foreign interference.

On Monday, more than a thousand angry Sri Lankans protested outside the British Embassy in Colombo, pelting it with rocks and eggs and burning an effigy of British Foreign Minister David Miliband and throwing it inside the compound. Protesters held posters calling Miliband a "white Tiger," and several tried to climb the embassy's high walls.

On Sunday, thousands gathered in the streets of Colombo to dance, sing and let off fireworks as rebel official Selvarasa Pathmanathan admitted the group's defeat.

"This battle has reached its bitter end," Pathmanathan said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press. "It is our people who are dying now from bombs, shells, illness and hunger. We cannot permit any more harm to befall them. We remain with one last choice — to remove the last weak excuse of the enemy for killing our people. We have decided to silence our guns."

In an interview with Britain's Channel 4 news, Pathmanathan said he had spoken with Prabhakaran personally and that the rebel leader remained inside the war zone.

The Tamil Tigers are blamed for hundreds of suicide attacks and outlawed as a terror group in the U.S., European Union and India.

The rebels have been fighting since 1983 for a separate state for Sri Lanka's ethnic Tamil minority after years of marginalization at the hands of the Sinhalese majority. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the fighting.